Biological method for coal comminution
AssigneeMichigan Biotechnology Institute
InventorsMahendra K. Jain, Ramani Narayan, Ohantaek Han
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for reducing the size of coal particles includes the steps of inoculating a coal sample with an anaerobic bacteria or decarboxylating enzyme therefrom and incubating the inoculated sample. The microbes and/or decarboxylating enzymes biochemically modify the coal to reduce the size of the coal to ultra-fine particles. The biotreatment modifies the coal so as to improve its dispersibility in coal-water slurries.
Claims3
In a method of reducing coal pieces to ultrafine particles suitable for use in coal water slurries, the improvement which comprises inoculating coal pieces having a mesh size of about 20 to about 100 with an anaerobic microorganism, which produces a decarboxylating enzyme, and incubating said pieces and microorganism under anaerobic conditions at a temperature of about 20.degree. C. to about 40.degree. C. until the coal pieces have been reduced to ultrafine particles.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.